Machine for cutting coal



E. BREIT ET AL Aug. 29, 1933.

MACHINE FOR CUTTING COAL Filed Feb. 21, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l .Auban/roms f/wara/.fazlif Ey w E M Wl.

E. BREIT ET AL MACHINE FOR CUTTING COAL Filed Feb. 2l, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet `2 Aug. 29, 1933.

f supporting or guiding MACHINE Foa UTTINGAL i 'i t Breit and W. Vagiassignors of Pennsylvania i Application February 21,l Serial i James lliiwardlifordrliesliaf 'i i to The BerwndWhite Coal V' Y i Mining Company, Windbergla a corporationl 2 Claims. (Cl. 2655-48) The object of the invention is to provide a light and cheap machine adapted to be easily manual' ly manipulated to cut deep grooves in a body of coal to form projecting masses ofV coal, discon- V 5 nected except for their integral connection with l the coal body, which may be subsequently readily detached in the form of large lumps by means of manually operable tools and Without the use of explosives. A furtherobject of the invention Y amount of fine coal and dust, which has a much lower commercial value than coal in large lumps.

A preferred. embodiment ofthe invention is' shown in the drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a plan view, and Fig. 2 a side view, ofthe machine. y

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the-means for supporting the machine while in operation.

Fig. 4 is an edge View of Fig. 1, howing also i 2o the coal bed in section and the` machine (in dia- 1 gram) in cutting engagement with the coalbed. Fig. 5 is avdetail siderview of vone of the cutters. Fig.,6 is a 'detail side view of afew links of the chain'and of a cutter supported thereon.

5 Fig. Tis an end vieri@l partly in section,of

e is so shaped as to provide a hand-hold g. Secured to frame f isa handle h. f c

Secured tothe frame j, and projecting for a substantial distance beyond it, is along flat chainplate i having a semicircular free end. Extending around theV edge of this plate i and also `around sprocket wheel d is a sprocket chain k. Secured to the sprocket chain v k are forwardly extendingknives or cutters, some of which extend inthe plane of theV plate i and others of which extend at an oblique angle to plate i toward one side or the other ofthe plate. In Figs. 5, 6 and 'lare illustrated the preferred construction of cutter and the preferred means '50 of securing a cutter to the chain. vConfined within spaced apart links of the chain are the Shanks of blocks m, which are provided with centralv re-` cesses into which are inserted the knives n. The inserted part of each knife is provided with a 55 recess o into which is inserted a smallfiller block is to so cut the grooves as to produce a minimum,

. so positioned that the plate chain to move and cut into thecoal.

sprocket wheel, is a supplemental frame f. Frame p, which may be welded or otherwise secured in position., I

, he frame f is provided with dovetail projections rwhichV are slid into'dovetail grooves in frame e. A bolt s projects from frame e and extends through a solid portion v.of frame f. By means of nuts t on bolt s the frames can be adjusted to maintain the desired tension on the cutter-carrying'y sprocket chain lc.

In operation the operator grasps the handles y and h and positions the machine for cutting into the wall of coal. The machine'may be rst ly. The motor is started, causing the `sprocket As the cutting proceeds the machine is advanced in the longitudinal direction of its extension, causing the cutters to penetrate more deeplyinto the coal untilthe sprocket chain has penetrated the lcoal toa distance nearly orquite Iequal to the length of theproj'ecting' part of plate i, as shown in Fig.4.. Y .v

To facilitate this operation, there ilrst may be t erected the frame shown in Figs. 3 and4, comprising posts v connected by a vertically adjustable cross-bar x. The posts have threaded in their lower ends feet y having conical bases which penetrate the floor of the coal chamber.'

ABy turning the feet relatively to thekposts, the

latter may be forced against the-roof of the coal i extends horizontali sov c chamber, thereby-rmlysecuring the frame in position. Such framesare Well `known in the` art of coal mining. The cross-bar :n aords a support'and'guide for the plate i duringthe coalpenetrating operation. Y After a deep groove has been formed in the coal seam, the cutter may be manually moved laterally to widen the groove to the extent desired.

The machine is thenV disengaged from the groove which it has cut, the cross-bar :c is lowered (or raised) and another similar and parallel groove is cutA below (or above) the rst groove, the groovesbeing spaced apart Vany deim) i By turning the machine into a position at right sired distance.

angles to that described (so that plate .i extends in a'vertical plane) ,vertical grooves, connecting j the horizontal grooves, may be cut in the coal seam, thus leaving a number of projecting blocks spaced apart` except for their integral tion at the back with the coal body.-

Such blocks may be readily pried loose from the coal body by meansof bars or other mechanical contrivances.

COIIIIEC- f The machine has the advantage of being of cheap construction, of being readily manipulable by one man, Vor by two menveach grasping one 4of the handles, of being rapid in action, and of `producing a minimumoof coal dust or ne coal, since thewidth o f. thercut grooves doesnotexceed the widthof thesprocket chain.

Having now fully described our invention, what we claim and desire to Patent is:

1. A machine for cutting coal comprising'ai frame in two sections, chain-drivingmechanismV carried by one section, a

chain support; carried by and projecting beyond. the other'section a. chain carried by said support;` and operatively engaging said driving mechanism, means usecuringr said frame sections together and comprising. means to adjustl the frame sectionsrelative one.

protect by Letters to theother in the direction of extension of the chain and its support, and'twohand-holds, one Y on one frame section and the other on the other frame section, one of saidhand-holds being at the extreme rear of the machine.

v2, ,A machine for cutting coal in coal beds comprising a vthinv flat chain support, a chain ex tending along'and around the edge of said support, cutters carried by the chain, a frame carrying said support, chain driving means carried by said frame including a. wheel driven by a worm and alexible shaft driving said worm,

and two'hand holds, each extending transversely- :of the axis of theV worm and one being'at the kextreme rear of the lmachinet EDWARD BREIT. JAMES HOWARD FORD.

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